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spacecowgirl, I want to appologize for being on this thread like this. I wish you the best of luck stocking the tank. You have my opinion and others are free. I am not going to further propetuate this on your thread. Please feel free to PM me if you have any questions you would like to ask me. I will remove myself from the thread to reduce any keyboard jockey drama.

. To go even further, petsmart and petco do it with a half salinity of salt water mixture.

And we all know the quality fish most of these places offer.

Let me clarify a little bit too. I have kept soft water fish in liquid rock and they did/do live but not to their full potential. Their colors were never as vibrant as they should have been and they didn't live quite as long as they should have. This is my personal experience, don't discount it just because it doesn't agree with you. Also, I have no problem with a slight difference in water hardness, but keeping a species that requires soft water in liquid rock I can no longer advocate.

When I go fishing I just throw sharp rocks in the water and wait for the dead fish to float to the top... KingfisherEverything happens for a reason. Sometimes that reason is you are stupid and make bad decisions. I think my fish is adjusting well to the four gallon, He's laying on his side attempting to go to sleep on the bottom of the gravel.
A moderator on a fish forum should be able to identify an oscar... Don't you think?Dear naps, sorry I hated you so much when I was a child... Love me

Let me clarify a little bit too. I have kept soft water fish in liquid rock and they did/do live but not to their full potential. Their colors were never as vibrant as they should have been and they didn't live quite as long as they should have. This is my personal experience, don't discount it just because it doesn't agree with you. Also, I have no problem with a slight difference in water hardness, but keeping a species that requires soft water in liquid rock I can no longer advocate.

*sigh* Your advocacy isnt in question. Actually you addressed me and in turn FM, and also cant be found anywhere on this thread until Talldutchie was questioned for what I feel is an inappropriate comment. Come on here and state what you just read and I have absolutely no problem, since when are we not free to our own opinion?

This is a touchy subject for many of us and yeah, I jumped in late. Of course you can have your opinion, why can't I have mine.. You know we wouldn't keep a dog in a crate, or a bird on a string and tell people it's ok because they will adapt, yet we think it's ok to keep fish in water they are unsuited for. I know these aren't great examples but I think they get my point across. And again, just my personal experience, when my daughter stopped keeping soft water fish and started keeping fish more suited for our water, the hobby became much more enjoyable for her.

Last edited by mommy1; 08-17-2013 at 09:35 PM.

When I go fishing I just throw sharp rocks in the water and wait for the dead fish to float to the top... KingfisherEverything happens for a reason. Sometimes that reason is you are stupid and make bad decisions. I think my fish is adjusting well to the four gallon, He's laying on his side attempting to go to sleep on the bottom of the gravel.
A moderator on a fish forum should be able to identify an oscar... Don't you think?Dear naps, sorry I hated you so much when I was a child... Love me

I got 5 softwater species. two have bred and the third is doing frequent pre mating behaviour. Water is currently 260 ppm but that will be brought down to half that over the next few weeks. I'm not even going to discuss water hardness again. The scientific evidence is published for anyone interested.
I feel 10-15 harlequins is too much for a tank this size and have tried to make that point. I also feel it's wise for beginners to stock a little lighter. No insult was intended.

Ok guys, I feel slightly guilty for propagating this disagreement. Erm I think in future i'l just PM members as opposed to posting threads. As I have said before, I appreciate all your feedback. But ultimately i'll make my own decision, and do so according to the best interests of my fish. Thanks again for your advice.

One thing you'll find out about this hobby is that those involved are very passionate about it and as you've seen, there are different ways of doing things. So, no worries. You can feel free to post threads and continue to post questions on this thread. Not every question turns into a debate :o) Everyone here has the same goal in mind: to help.
Be sure to post photos when you get your tank stocked. We'd all love to see them.

Hi
Yes an angel is out of the question. They grow much too large for a 15 gal. 30 gal would be the minimum for a single angel.
The reason retailers can have so many fish in small tanks is because they are generally juveniles and the intend is for them to be placed in appropriate sized tanks so they can grow out. Their stock rotates on a regular basis making it possible for them to keep so many small fish in such small spaces.